Few people know this, but on the morning of June 1, 2014, the House of Blues on Lansdowne Street momentarily stood without a roof. That’s because Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings played the rock club the night before — and proceeded to tear that sucker right off.
This week, the House of Blues has honored Jones — who passed away in November at the age of 60 after a battle with pancreatic cancer — with a fitting mural. It’s located near the entrance of the Foundation Room, is part of the venue’s #hobbostonart campaign, and was created by Meghan Pierce, Molly Kafka, and Hannah Earley.
Pierce and Earley were two of the creative talents behind the House of Blues’ previous tribute mural, of David Bowie and Prince, which first went up on Lansdowne last summer. The pieces on display are not permanent, and this looks like it will be an ongoing, rotating series by the venue to honor late musical heroes.
And Jones is no stranger to the House of Blues.
In addition to the May 2014 show (the Dap-Kings DJ’d Cambridge dance party Soulelujah afterwards), Jones played the room a handful of times, including an explosive May 2010 gig and a Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay “Big Night” fundraiser in February 2013. At that February show, Jones’ Dap-Kings were unable to get to Boston due to the blizzards that hit the area, so, as the Globe reported at the time, the powerful and charismatic soul singer performed with fellow headliners Grace Potter & the Nocturnals.
She is truly missed.
Take a look at the mural below.
